AUTHOR=Kucharzik T. , Verstockt B. , Maaser C. TITLE=Monitoring of patients with active inflammatory bowel disease JOURNAL=Frontiers in Gastroenterology VOLUME=2 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/gastroenterology/articles/10.3389/fgstr.2023.1172318 DOI=10.3389/fgstr.2023.1172318 ISSN=2813-1169 ABSTRACT=

In the current treat-to-target era, close and tight monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel disease has become increasingly important. Although the importance of patient reported outcomes (PROMs) cannot be underestimated, its moderate association with biochemical and histo-endoscopic outcomes highlights the need for additional monitoring strategies. Endoscopic and histological remission are linked with improved long-term outcomes, but require more invasive assessments. Hence, non-invasive monitoring modalities are becoming increasingly relevant, with emerging evidence demonstrating the added clinical value of transmural assessment, both in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The current review covers the multiple treatment targets present in IBD care, and focusses in particular on the increasing importance of intestinal ultrasound. Finally, we propose a potential algorithm to monitor patients with IBD in daily clinical practice and highlight gaps for future research in monitoring IBD strategies.